Carlos Santana's wild weekend proves Yankees were smart to finish Paul Goldschmidt signing

It was clear the New York Yankees planned to pivot to a short-term first base solution long before Christian Walker secured three years and $60 million with the Houston Astros, their draft picks melting away in the process. The only thing still left up for debate was whether they'd follow the long-predicted path and sign former MVP Paul Goldschmidt, battling age and regression, or whether they'd spend slightly less and bet on soon-to-be 39-year-old Carlos Santana avoiding the same demons.

In the end? Santana wasn't cheaper at all, and clearly had a sentimental landing spot in mind, seeking familiarity the Yankees couldn't provide. And, after a wild weekend of shuffling first basemen, it's obvious that both Santana and Goldschmidt landed where they were always supposed to. Sometimes, a baseball transaction is more than just a baseball transaction.

Santana purchased a home with his wife in the Cleveland suburbs in 2012, the first real estate purchase he'd been able to make stateside. All four of his children were born in the region. He slugged for Cleveland from 2010-2017, then returned for two more years after a one-season sojourn in Philadelphia. After bouncing around the league and bringing his brand of tenacity and on-base skills to five additional teams between 2020 and today, Cleveland's strange and savvy weekend trade of Josh Naylor opened up a spot for Santana to be where he always wanted to once more in 2025.

Sure, Santana had flipped his house the very same week he returned to Cleveland, assuming his time in the city had ended. Inconvenience aside, though, Cleveland is still home. Santana stated as much in the celebratory Instagram post he put up when the move was finalized.

Yankees never had a chance with Guardians' Carlos Santana (at Paul Goldschmidt's price)

The appeal of Santana for the Yankees was based on marginal savings. The thought was, if a former MVP in Goldschmidt was seeking a multi-year deal, one year of Santana would be more palatable. If both were one-year expenditures, you could even make the case for Santana's bat/glove combo over Goldschmidt, ideally at a slightly cheaper price.

In the end, though, Goldschmidt's second-half OPS, lefty-mashing skills, and clubhouse fit won out, as the prices of both players ended up roughly equal. Besides, if the Yankees had interrupted Santana's desired outcome -- a reunion on his favored home turf to end his storied career -- it would've been a more sour story for everyone involved. It seems both pieces landed where they fit best.